So whats the general take on Cocksparrer around these here parts? If you dont know, this is a UK Oi Band, not what happens at SDCC/NYCC Skullbrain parties.

Cocksparrer, now that brings back memories. Boots, braces, beer, bars. My take on them is that if I had a dime for every time I fucking heard England Belongs To Me, I'd have a shitload of dimes. I'm sure there's at least one other SB'er who can relate. I'm getting all nostalgic, I'm gonna have to pull out my Shock Troops LP.

I love cocksparrer. They are playing chaos and Tejas and I want to go just to see them and fly right back for work.


England belongs to me could be one of my all time favorite songs as well. Skinheads and Straight edge kids, more alike than they are different.
there I said it.

we always got along just fine w/straight edge kids, hardcore kids. only time bottles would fly is when the boneheads would show up. those were the days. not that I don't still wear the old oxbloods from time to time, but when you hit 30 get married and have a mortgage, things just tend to change.

Yeah thats kinda what I'm talking about. I was late to the game with cocksparrer. I wasnt staying up on UK Oi whenever they came out and to be frank they are fucking balls out and amazing but boy oh boy you cant front that its not skinhead recruitment music. They are probably one of my guiltiest pleasures and that includes E.L.O. and some other horrific AM Gold that I love. So between former skins and gilman street PC kids I was wondering how they are recieved.

when I was into the scene, I never met another skin that didn't listen to them. not just received, but required listening. and it's never too late to get into cocksparrer.

Any new Oi worth checking out?
I do like Hard Skin quite a bit.

Other than the cider drinking, glue sniffing and penchant for greasy bacon sandwiches and a cuppa (tea, three sugars) . . .

Deja vu regarding a conversation with Kozik . . . ran along the lines of 'without Oi there would be no US hardcore scene!'

I've been pretty out of touch with oi for the last few years, but there was a (Dutch I think) band called Badlands (not the hair band) that was putting out some decent, unusually melodic oi. The Killing Kind was the last album I heard. A little hit and miss, but some okay stuff. I'll dig out my records and see what else I can find later tonight.

geez I coulda wrote this! Although Runnin' Riot was my favorite because Agnostic Front used to cover it. I bought Shock Troops when it came out...they were definitely different than all the other 80's Oi. The other day I saw a kid in the grocery store with a Cocksparrer hoodie, I took a minute to reflect on my life and how weird everything seems now...then continued shopping.

As far as good Oi today...thast a tough one. So much of it is so cliched and tedious. I still can't get past American bands saying "Oi!" in their songs. Off the top of my head I can't think of anyone to recommend. Local guys and old friends not included.

I saw the Business a few years ago, got to drink with Mickey Fitz and it was one of the best nights of my life...

cool, I saw them I guess about 3-4 years ago in Austin. Same tour I'm sure. Also got to meet Fitz. Good stuff!

Thats why I love punk rock, you get to meet all your heroes!

I think I pretty much played my Shock Troops CD until it couldn't be played anymore back in the day (although not that far back in the day, considering it was a CD and all). Never could get into most of the Oi stuff that much, but that was a definite keeper.

Careful now ... just saying.



Last censored by bannedindc: 2/23/09

Sorry but what does Cocksparrer have to do with skrewdriver? please don't mention that band on this board ever again and please take that link down.

ANYWAYS..
Any Skinhead reggae or Jamaican Ska fans? I like to play some trojan comps in the store as they are pretty mellow. People ask about demond dekker more than anything else I've ever played in the store.

Cant say i was ever a skin but I do love me some old reggae and ska. Ive been going through a listening renaissance recently. Anyone like Prince Far I around here?

I wore a trojan patch on the back of my jacket for years. laurel aitken, desmond dekker, toots & the maytals, pyramids/symarip, all that good stuff. symarips "skinhead moonstomp" is another classic skin anthem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMhGN9_gqvU

great video.

Totally. I have several of the Trojan box sets, all are golden. Although like PaulieVinyl I'm pretty much out of touch with Oi these days, early Rock Steady and Ska will always sound good.

I doubt if this necessarily needs to be said at this site but not all things skinhead were the wrong kind. As it always was. The misunderstandings and apprehensions are understandable, though.

Hell, even old people like reggae, ska, twotone stuff. Trojan comps are great. Anybody follow any of the studio musicians into the odd world of jamaican jazz?
54-46!

Love all that too...geez. I missed the 90's Ska explosion...was just sick of it. The original 60's stuff will always rule. I did get to see Madstock in London 1992....a huge Madness gig. I saw the Skatallites in Cleveland late 80's..that ruled. I love second wave ska ..two-tone etc....

heres an old pic of me visiting family in London about 1985...thats my brother-in-law, he's a big shot music producer...just did an album for White Lies from the UK


ps- no hidden meaning in the laces, just liked the way it looked. This was before the scene had a dress code

great pic, you look well sussed.

I don't think many people really read much into laces, at least not when I was into it. I never wore anything but white laces straight-laced in my boots. they just looked better.

Nothing against you Andy (or Frank), but I must respectfully disagree with that statement. I don't know of many people at all from the original HC scene (early '80's) that listened to Oi - excepting, of course, the Effigies from Chicago, who really were more of an Oi band than HC themselves.

i thought that was a weird statement too...the two seemed to run concurrently, but I remember very few US hardcore guys knew anything about straight up oi bands...don't forget DC's Iron Cross, they could claim the first American Oi band title too.
early US hardcore seemed to feed on/influence itself...specific cities had somewhat unique sounds...I was heavy into Dischord, Detroit/Midwest bands and a little LA scene.

So what band were you in KJB? I looked at the T&G catalog to try and figure it out but I'm too stupid.

Banned - I don't think there's anything wrong with the Chiswick stuff. Blinding stuff!

I also think that US HC evolved pretty independently of Oi! and I fucking love Cocksparrer!!!! Not to into the gigs nowadays, to many arms in the air for my liking. But they do put on one of the best shows, well worth travelling to see.
I saw them at the CBGBs gig, man! That was magic!